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Google voice as voicemail for carrier number

Mvno: redpocket GSMA
Carrier VM is disabled/turned off.

End user is using actual carrier number for in/outbound calls. Google voice is only used for voicemail.

It's been so long since my primary number was carrier based I don't know if this is the expected behavior or not. Issue we're running into is after an unanswered call rings for x amount of time (~25 seconds), it then gets transferred to gv and rings another 25-30 seconds before gv vm actually answers. Total time before answering is ~55 seconds. Too long for most people before they hang up altogether.

Is this the expected behavior or is something amiss?

The carrier number is configured in gv as a [mobile] forwarding number (and unchecked as no forwarding is needed).

To clarify DND getting turned off... The person using the device may tap on the disable dnd unintentionally.

@St Dog, I agree, it does sound like it's trying to ring other devices. But, there are no other devices configured or checked, even web is toggled off.

For sh|ts and giggles, I checked the single forwarding # (the cell phone). Now it works properly, as soon as the CCF is initiated (after ~30 seconds of ringing), gv vm picks up. But this presents another problem. Several times a day there are inbound spam calls to this gv number, I don't want the cell phone ringing for any numbers dialed to the gv # at all. They should go straight to voice mail.

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Ok, I think I made progress.

I left the check box enabled as above (legacy gv settings) for the cell #, but defined a custom ring schedule as below

This seems to work. It's a very strange work around.

Maybe the ultimate solution is to just port the number to google voice. Renewal is coming up in 3 months. Something to think about.

It would be nice to get feedback from others using gv for vm only with their carrier # and what sort of behavior they're seeing in terms of time before gv vm picks up.

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Edit, the above is no good. It won't ring the phone during that time frame, but will ring any other time. So back to DND.

Code I used on the phone to set ccf is "**004*11231231234*11*30#"

The 30 at the end is a modifier to ccf after 30 seconds instead of the default 20 seconds. *11 is needed for the modifier to work.

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edit 2. If you try to return the call from within the gv app vm section, it dials out using the gv number. No way around that.

Thinking about this, let me review what I think you typically would need to do to set up a GV voicemail only feature:

You'd need to configure each/any device first as a forwarding phone (newer term: linked device) in GV. Needs to be on the list, but doesn't need to actually be forwarded to (or actively linked), so you can de-select it.

Then you'd need to to tell GV that device was going to be used for voicemail (I only know about this setting from the "Legacy" GV Settings web page; no idea how to access that from the new-style page or the device app if that is even possible). This step also keeps the incoming call attempt to the native cell no. from doing a forwarding loop; quite essential.

And finally on each phone you use whatever the cell carrier's set up is to do conditional call forwarding (CCF) to your GV number.

@whacker, you got the right idea there, but I think the carrier plays some role in this. Boz indicated he's getting the expected results on vzw. On cricket/redpocket gsma unless the device is selected as a forwarding device (or dnd is enabled), gv vm adds another 25 seconds of delay before answering the call.

I think your third paragraph (tell gv that device is used for vm) doesn't really tell gv anything, rather gv gives you the right code to dial to configure ccf.

The main problem with native carrier vm is if it grabs the call too soon - before gv has a chance to answer. So its best to either disable native vm, or set it to an answer duration of 30 seconds or more.

I don't have any other cell phones here to test with any more, just a bunch of voip lines, which don't have ccf.

@st dog, it's all about cutting corners in the mvno world. Quite possible their service ignores certain signalling that comes through with a call.

I need to give some serious thought to the pros/cons of porting this relative's number over to gv. My main concern is sometimes reception is poor (indoors, basement) and only a voice call may be possible. WIth the newest gv implementation, phantom numbers don't appear to be cached any more, so a data connection is always needed.